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ICE Arrests Afghan Man in Virginia Over Alleged ISIS-K Support, Third Case Linked to 2021 Evacuee Program This Week

DHS says the suspect arrived under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, a case now driving broader vetting reviews and policy pauses.

Overview

  • ICE detained Jaan Shah Safi in Waynesboro, Virginia, after DHS alleged he provided material support to ISIS-K and supplied weapons to his father, a militia commander in Afghanistan.
  • DHS says Safi entered the U.S. on September 8, 2021, through Philadelphia under Operation Allies Welcome and later sought Temporary Protected Status, which was terminated when Afghan TPS ended.
  • Officials describe the case as the third involving recent Afghan arrivals in under a week, following the D.C. ambush that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the Fort Worth bomb‑threat arrest.
  • Federal investigators are assessing whether the D.C. shooting suspect was radicalized after arriving in the U.S., with ongoing inquiries into potential networks and motivation.
  • The administration has halted Afghan refugee resettlement and paused certain immigration processes for designated high‑risk countries while counterterrorism and re‑vetting reviews proceed.